Electric toaster.



H. E. BRADLEY.

ELECTRIC TOASTER. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 25, 1909.

925,74 Pa-tenfed June 29, 1909.

WWA/5335s Fig 2. 2T 22 /m/E/vrof? HAROLD E. BRADLEY, 0F APPONAUG, RHDE ISLAND.

ELECTRIC TOASTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application led February 25, 1909. Serial No. 479,938.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD E. BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Apponaug, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Toasters, of which t e following is a specification, reference being had herein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to electric toasters and has for its object to rovide a portable toaster adapted to be quickly heated by an electric current, the sameto be very attractive, neat and compact in apearance, of inexpensive construction and e cient in its operation.

In carrying out my invention I provide a casing provided with a removable cover and a heating element located in the casing and formed of a continuous resistance wire wound around or about a breadreceiving rack, in such a manner as to heat both sides of the bread simultaneously and so arra ed that none of the crumbs can fall on the wlres to clog or affect their heating capacity. The ends of said wire are then electrically connected to suitable terminals on the casing which lead to a suitable source of supply by a flexible cord.

An essential feature of my improved toaster is that the casing is provided with one or more windows through which the condition of the bread may be observed while toasting.

Another feature of the device is that the same is provided with supporting legs that are separated from the heated body or casing by heat insulating material, whereby the toaster may beC operated upon a polished tablewithout injuring the same.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the ap ended claims.

n the accompanying drawings: Figure l-is a pers ective view of my improved toaster and s owing the electric connection thereto. Fig. 2-is a plan' view of the toaster with the coverremoved. Fig. 3% shows a portion of the device with the case in section. ,Fi-g. 4-is a diagrammatic view showing the winding of the heating wire.

Fig; 5-is a face-view of one of thelend lplates of the bread rack. Fig. G-is an en arged view showing a portion of one of the rack end plates and the means by which said rack is retained in the casing. -Fig. 7-is a rear view of the casin handle showing the construction by whic it is retained in position on the casing.

Referring to the drawings, 1 desi nates the casin which may be constructe of sheet meta or any desired material and nickelplated, or otherwise iinished, to present an attractive appearance and yet uninjure'd by the heat. This casing isY preferably made in a rectangular form, open at its top, and large enough to inclose a heating rack of a size adapted to receive a slice of bread, the interior surface of this casing bein lined as at 2 with asbestos, or other suita le Iheat insulating material. An essential feature of ,this construction is that apertures 5 are formed'in the two opposite sides of the casing, and mica 6, or other suitable heat resisting transparent material set therein so 'that the condition of the bread while toasting maybe readily observed. The top of this casing is provided with a cover 3, which has a downwardly projecting flange 4, see Fig. 3, all around it adapted` to extend on the mside of the casing'to hold the same in position thereon. This cover is provided with holes 7--7 to vent the interior while the bread is toastf ing, and the cover is also provided with a handle 8 constructed of wood, or other heat insulating material. A`similar handle 9 is also provided for the casing so that said cover may be removed and the casing manipulated while heated, without fear of burning the hand of the operator. As the handles are made of wood or fiber they also serve as an electric insulator to rotect the han from receiving an'electric s ock should the Wires for any reason becme short circuited through the casing. This casing is mounted on four legs 10-10 which may be made of metal, if desired, but which are separated at 11 from the metal of the casing by a packing of heat insulating material to prevent said legs from becoming heated. The lower ends or feet 12 are also constructed of asimilar material so as to effectually prevent the slightest injury` to the table on which it may sit even when the toaster is heated and in full operation.

The bread-rack is formed of two narrow end lates 13 *13 of electrical insulating materia the same being perforated with two rows of small holes s 'aced apart, as indicated at Fig. 5, said holes eing for the purpose of receiving the ends of rods 14, thereby forming two rows of grid bars, said rows being spaced apart sufficient to receive a slice of bread edgewise between them. A, bar 15 is located in the center between the rows and at the lower end thereof to form a stop upon which the lower edge of the slice o breadv may rest. These bars are preferably formed of small rods which may be threaded on their ends, if desired, as at 16, see Fig. 6, and are held in positionv in said holes by nuts or shoulders 17-17 formed at either end on the inside of the plate. 1n order to secure this rack in position in the casing the two upper rods 418-18 and the two lower rods 19-19 are made slightly longer than the othersfor the purpose of receiving elongated shoulder nuts 2O and 21 which extend through the casing at either en`d of the late. These shoulder nuts 20 and 21 whic fit onto the rear ends of said rods 18 and 19 are also ada `ted to be passed through ears 22 and 23, see ig. 7 in the handle 9, to valso secure the same in position on the casing. By the use of these shoulder nuts the heating rack may be readily yremoved and replaced by a heating elementof a diiierent voltage whereby this toaster may be readily changed and adapted` to operate on circuits of different potentials. The edges of the two end plates 13-13 are notched at close intervals at 24-24 on either edge-to receive the heating resistance wire 25 which is preferably formed of one continuous integral piece and wound in a continuous coil around both of these plates just outside ofthe bars or rods, and inserted into the notches whereby they will be retained in their relative position to each other and in close proximity withouttouching the slice of toast deposited in the s ace between the rods and within the coil, lw ereby the heat from the wires is adapted to act simultaneously to toast both sides of the slice. As many coils or turns of this wire are made as are found necessary to generate Vthe re uisite amount of 'heat for toasting the brea in a predeter-l mined number of seconds, and these coils are electrically insulated from each other by means of the insulating material of which the end plates areconstructed. After the bread rack has been thus constructed it is readily placed in position within the casing and the two ends lof the wire 26 and 27 are connected to the terminals 28 and 29, which are supported in the insulati U block 30 on the casing, the toaster then eing connected to a source of current through the iiexible cord 31.

In the operation oi:l my improved toaster the same-may be electrically connected by a flexible cord to any lamp socket and placed @aant on the serving' table, or any other convenient lace, .without fear of injuring the linen or h of the table. The cover,F owing to the insulated handle, may be readily removedy when the casing is heated, and a slice of bread dropped edgewise between the rows of rods in the rack. The cover is then replaced, thereby retaining the heat within the casing, said heat being scient toy toast the bread to a satisfactory degree within a few seconds.

An essential feature of my improved de.

vice is that the progress of the toasting may be readily observed through the windows in the sides, the incandescent wires within lighting up the interior to such an extent that the condition of the bread maybe readily noted, and when the same is fini/shed satisfactorily the cover is taken oli and the bread easily removed, byv any suitable means, or

yposition t ey are most edective, as none of the crumbs from the bread can fall upon these wires toA insulate them or in any way lessen their heating eectiveness.

My improved toaster is very light in weight, compact inform and easy to manipulate. It is also ornamental and attractive in appearance and eEective in its operation.

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secu by Letters Patent, is.

1. ln an electric toaster, a bread rack formed of rows of bars s aced a art andsecured at their ends to p ates o electrically insulating material, and an electric resistance wire wound lengthwise around said rack whereby the contents of the same may be heated on opposite sides. v

2. 1n an electric toaster, a bread rack formed of bars spaced apart and set in rows, plates of electrically. insulating material to which said bars are secured at their ends, said rack being adapted to receive a slice of bread edgewise therein, and an electric resistance Wire wound around saidrack Wherebyl the contents of the same may be heated on op osite sides. i

3. n a ortable electric toaster, the combination o a casing open at its upper end, a

lremovable cover thereror, a bread rack formed Vof electrically insu ating material to which said bars are secured, a continuous electric heating Wire Wound around said rack Whereby the bread contained therein is cooked on opposite sides simultaneously, said rack being formed independent of said casin and adapted to be inserted and remova 1y secured therein, 'electric terminals on said casing to which said heating element is connected,V and 1` exible means for connecting said terminals With an electric circuit; A l0 In testimony whereof I affix my signature ,in presence of two Witnesses. HAROLD E. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW, E.- I. OGDEN. 

